Bordeaux, Lille fight for second spot

PARIS, April 28 (Reuters) - The battle for a place in next season's Champions League is hotting up with Girondins Bordeaux and Lille still vying for second place in Ligue 1.

With three games to play Bordeaux, on 64 points, have a
six-point advantage but Lille have a better goal difference.

As a bonus for the Girondins, they will play at home on
Sunday against 10th-placed Le Mans who have nothing to win nor
to lose any more.

Lille travel on Saturday to RC Lens, who are fifth on 53
points, still eyeing third place which offers a passport to the
qualifying stage of the Champions League or, more realistically,
fourth place and qualification for the UEFA Cup.

The other teams still in the race are Rennes, Olympique
Marseille and AJ Auxerre but the Auxerre v Marseille and Rennes
v Paris St Germain fixtures have been rescheduled to Wednesday
because Marseille and PSG face each other in Saturday's Cup
final.

On Sunday, Olympique Lyon, who have already clinched a
record fifth consecutive title, will try to beat the Ligue 1
points record they share with Nantes and Monaco.

The French champions are only one point short of the
79-point mark but they can rely on Sunday's opponents,
neighbouring Saint-Etienne, to make their chase as hard as
possible.

Saint-Etienne, who ruled French soccer in the 1970s and have
won a record 10 league titles, lie 12th.

They have not beaten Lyon since a 3-0 home victory on April
6, 1994, but they always give their all against their neighbours
and held them to a goalless draw in December at the Stade
Geoffroy-Guichard.

"From the first to the last second, we'll play with total
commitment," said Saint-Etienne striker Frederic Piquionne on
the club's website.

Lyon captain Claudio Cacapa said: "We have won the title but
the pressure will still be on because our supporters keep
telling us that if there is one match we are not allowed to lose
it's the game against Saint-Etienne at Gerland."

At the bottom of the table, Sochaux, 16th in the 20-team
league, travel to bottom Metz needing only one point from their
final three outings to avoid relegation to the second division.

A win over Toulouse would also secure 17th-placed Troyes
their berth in the top flight and condemn Strasbourg, who host
League Cup winners Nancy, Ajaccio and Metz to relegation.